Daily Inspiration: Meet Lura Daniels-Ball

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lura Daniels-Ball.

Lura, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I have been told about my great-great-grandfather AJ Hurdle since I was a child. Born a slave separated from his family in North Carolina at eight years old, sold to Mr. Turner and brought to Texas. Enterprising even then, he earned favor by teaching the Master’s son to stop stuttering, learning to read and write, while tutoring the son and along the way absorbing all he could. 

So it was no wonder that after a run-in as a teen with a new violent overseer, becoming a runaway slave, serving as a stable boy for the Union Army, and returning to claim his childhood sweetheart Viney upon the declaration of the June 19th 1865 proclamation of freedom, now celebrate nationally as Juneteenth, AJ would set a principle and practice for himself and all of his 26 children to have both a profession and a trade as well as to be a community of caring. If a store were needed, he would build it. A  school, a college, and church. While one of the colleges he founded — Northeast Texas Christian Theological and Industrial College in Palestine Texas in 1912 — mysteriously burned and only a marker remains where it once stood, Jarvis Christian College still remains today in Texas. In his family, you learned to work with your mind and your hands. A teacher was a seamstress or a Preacher, a carpenter, and so on. 

I believe that same spirit has been passed down through generations from his children, through my father to me. My mother imbued the same can-do spirit, and relentless support of all of her children, her church and friends. Ours was an open home for anyone who needed help on the way to a better life. I never knew the challenges my parents faced financially. The hardships, the impact of having to suddenly move your entire family to a whole new state because if you stayed you would be killed. 

Yes, that is how we came to California. My father was one of two first Black police officers in Greenville, Texas. When he rightfully arrested a Caucasian man for a crime he became a target. He had to be hidden away until my Mother secretly prepared for our move to California. Imagine having to start all over again. We stayed with my Mothers Aunt. I never felt discouraged. It could have been because I was the youngest. But my parents were strong and brave, and they kept us all together. Education was paramount and we were all in school and church as soon as we arrived in California.

So that is the foundation of my character. Strong, loving industrious people. So, it was no wonder that I was blessed to meet and marry an amazing man that shared that same entrepreneurial spirit. For thirty-nine years we both worked in corporate and executive positions and acquired  expertise in a number of fields learning how “business” is done. All the while, we both kept our “side hustles.” His as a film and sound engineer, mine as a vocal performer (my college training), Event Manager/PR Consultant, and my Baking Ministry. What joy it is to share something that comes from your heart and your hands. Something you create that cannot be bought or reproduced and brings a particular joy and delight to the person it is intended for. Sadly, Lionel has transitioned now but left three strong children with his imprint and the same bold spirit of doing. 

So why Lura’s Kitchen? After many years, constant requests, and this late in life I started Lura’s Kitchen, Inc., previously Lura’s Love, because as I looked back on my childhood, the happiest times were those I spent in the kitchen with Madear. I wanted to replicate those memoirs and experiences for others and use my recipes to help create nostalgia and new lasting remembrances to make cookies more that are more than just a “Sweet Treat.” At the same time, I wanted to make a company the has consentience, gives back to the community and continues our family’s legacy of entrepreneurship and giving.

Lura’s Kitchen, Inc. is a multi-generational woman-majority minority-owned organized as a California benefit corporation based in South Los Angeles. Following a forty-plus-year Baking Ministry, in April 2021, Lura’s Kitchen, Inc. solidified itself as a formal S-Corp business entity “doing good” while selling original and traditional American cookie mixes. Offering the most popular in the Lura’s Kitchen Line of  3-ingredient Premium, Gourmet Cookie mixes: Tura Lura’s Choco Chip Pecan, Madear’s Old Fashion Teacakes (the only Teacake Mix in the country), and Langston’s No-Nonsense Chocolate Chip. Each cookie recipe has a backstory created and was for a particular person or event. Lura stopped counting her signature Forty plus recipes long ago!

Lura’s Kitchen shares a successful partnership with co-packer Heartland Gourmet, LLC, which sources and manufactures the mixes to Lura’s specifications. Using the finest US sourced ingredients exactly as Lura uses in her kitchen at home. Products are available to purchase online at LurasKitchen.com, Amazon, and wholesale sites RangeMe, Faire and MeetMable.com.

As a CA Benefit Corporation, Lura’s Kitchen gives back to communities in need and promotes diversity. Our mission is simple: It’s All In the Mix, you eat cookies. We help. Together, we empower the communities we serve…with the sweetness of doing good one cookie at a time. 

This is a tough undertaking this late in my life. I often wonder why I have chosen this path. The practical side is simply to make a living for myself. After years of paying for healthcare for my husband, our retirement was virtually non-existent when he passed. We were fighting to keep our home (which I managed to do so after he passed), no life insurance, I found myself rebuilding a life without my partner of some 39 years. 

But all the while, through his illness and our challenges, our desire to give back to contribute and share motivated us both to keep moving forward. 

Brought up and reared to know the value of being humble and understanding that one has a responsibility to their fellow man or woman, philanthropy is always “In the Mix,” as our motto would say. We’re not just making cookie dough mix. We’re building a legacy that provides a constant benefit to the communities that it serves, one cookie dough mix at a time. With each batch of cookie dough mix we sell, we donate part of the proceeds to organizations that provide support toward education, food inequity, and homelessness. We believe that when you treat your family well, you’re not just building something for yourself; you’re building something for everyone. The Sweetness of Doing Good, one cookie at a time. 

1. Cities we target: Los Angeles, CA; Oakland, CA; Detroit, MI (My husband’s birth city); Houston, TX; Washington, DC
2. Causes: USC Film Students /OASC Oratorical Competition (High School), Los Angeles, CA; Castlemont High School Music Program / Christmas Food Card & Gift Baskets (Oakland, CA, Houston, TX, and Washington, DC); Christmas Food Card & Gift Baskets / Book Grants / Wayne State Student Gift cards (Detroit, Mi); SCLC-SC Los Angeles

Lura’s Kitchen donates Cookies mix and baked cookies throughout the year to various programs. 

Lura is a seasoned retired corporate executive and volunteers as a non-profit consultant to various organizations, acting as an on-call concierge to assist with problem-solving and resource sharing. Lura is a trained vocalist who performs on demand. Lionel Ball,  Lura’s husband(deceased) worked for years in retail management. But spent the last decade or so in the independent film industry, making movies as a sound engineer and producer and mentoring others in the film business. 

We have pilot-tested our fundraising program for organizations to use our mixes to raise money for their causes. The pilot project, Fall 2022, raised 1500.00 for scholarships. We plan to launch that project in late Spring 2025. 

Last, new varieties have been tested and we are looking for funds to bring them to market as we continue to grow our business by targeting B2B retail and mass market opportunities. 

Note: We have been the beneficiary of several incredible programs and grants, LISC, FEDEX/ACCION, VSEDC: BOSS NETWORK/SAGE, and more, in addition to great coaching. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I touched on this a bit prior… Coming out of loss, losing my husband, being alone in this process, starting over at this stage in my life was a big thing to get over mentally. I had a successful corporate career and should be somewhat coasting into my next chapter. Instead, I was regrouping and retooling, reassessing my skills. All the while, everyone looked on as though I had everything together because of my prior successes. 

Time had moved on, and as I had withdrawn from society and community and participated from the background, I knew that I had to rebuild my social capital and re-enter the world. Sounds a bit strange to write, but that is what I had to do. I had the skills, experience, and knowledge. I had clients (due to the fact that I kept my events and PR side hustle while working), but now I needed to be the client and learn the entrepreneur side of life. Yes, I had an edge, but there were many things I needed to learn. 

My biggest challenge, and it remains today, is working capital. For small business owners, marketing is critical. However, there are never enough funds to properly fund sustained multi-platform marketing campaigns. The guerilla tactics really take a physical toll on you. But that is what you have to do to stay out there. I am still challenged with social media. I can never seem to get a team member to stay with me long enough to get traction, so you just keep moving forward as you can. 

When I launched Thanksgiving, November 2021, the next day, I was a victim of a ZELLE fraud $18,500.00. Almost all that I had. It took 5 months and Channel 7 to get my money back into my account. That incident set me back, and I never quite recovered my momentum. Clearly a lesson in fraud but also in selecting banking partners. It was devasting. I tried everything available to me and Bank of America was so bad in responding to me. My sister and Treasurer blessed me out because I did everything, she said to do but go to the news. When I finally did. Channel 7 got them to respond to me in less than 12 hours. Phone call overnight, money back into my account in less than twelve hours. They ABC7 ran the story at 5 pm in less than 24 hours. Then AARP ran a 2-part special on Scams that was more in-depth, and they told me that it should not have taken the bank that long to resolve my issue. Others had the same situation, and it was resolved in weeks, not months. 

So, those are some of the struggles. My age, I am partially disabled and use a scooter to get around; my learning curve on the expense of participating in festivals, baked cookie sales versus mixes, when and where to do in-person sales all of the things you learn in the first few years that help you figure out how to best go to market and who is your target audience. 

My clients love my product. Distribution and share of mind and stomach are my challenges. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am trained in Opera with a BM in Vocal Arts from USC. However, I chose not to pursue the operatic stage and marry Lionel. I sing contemporary Christian gospel, and ballad songs. Some call me a Psalmist as I sing to soothe the heart. I have a one-woman multi-media show that was written for me by J.M. Morris and original stage direction by award-winning filmmaker Charles Burnett that honors the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., performed across the country. 

I am committed to my family, my God (at Church I am a praise leader, I am called the Minister of Fellowship, you can find me there almost every Sunday), my Business, and history. I know a lot about many things, and I am considered a concierge of information and can usually direct you to a particular resource. 

I am known for my singing in some circles, Cooking in some circles, Cookies only in some circles, leadership in others, and business in yet others. I am known as an ardent giver in all circles. 

I worked at USC in Alumni relations, establishing the Black Alumni Association; I worked for Coors Brewing Co., eliminating a national boycott of their products in the mid-eighties. I was able to generate a lot of goodwill and help a lot of organizations across 16 Western States for over 12 years. Teaching a corporation how to be a good citizen. How to” do business while doing Good.” And… teaching the communities how to work with corporate partner for long term and lasting relationships.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
My research shows the cookie mix business sustained tremendous growth due to the pandemic. People rediscovered the joys of baking at home and creating with their hands. 

According to the April 2024 report Cookies finished strong over the past two years with sales end up 14.2 percent (4points above grocery overall) according to NielsenIQ.

That growth is slated to continue through 2028 and then begin to trail downward. The trend also includes consumers looking for variety in flavors, textures, fun and healthy options. 

• Specialty Cookies continue to perform well.
• Mainstream Grocery holds 50 percent of Cookie sales but is the slowest growing.
• Mass Retailers growing twice as fast (27 vs 14) as grocery.
• Club Retailers grew fastest (36 percent) but only held 6 percent of the market.

Quick and easy options that provide full-flavor decadent desserts that can be converted to low-fat, or vegan also show signs of growth. In other words, consumers are looking for products that have flexible ingredients, healthy options, different flours, seasonality and sustainability.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.luraskitchen.com
• Instagram: @Luras_Kitchen
• Facebook: @LurasKitchen
• Twitter: @LurasKitchen

Image Credits
Kira Friedman
Harper Point Photography
The Cookie Charcuterie Boards
Lura Ball Logo
Rene’ Cross Washington
Food Polka